... It has relied on word of mouth, and its loyal fanbase that has tracked the developments of Cowon's product lines over the years.
My experiences are based on owning the 20Gb model since August 2005.
The X5 is beautifully crafted - very slim, a distinct lack of buttons and a sleek black finish.
One ... Read review
The New Gomadic Cup Holder Car Mount allows you clear visibility and finger tip access to ... more
your device in an attractive; streamlined package. The Cup Holder Mount promotes reliability along with style and ease. The New Gomadic Cup Holder Auto Holder is also the only mount on the market with a lifetime warranty and keeps you in touch on even the longest road trip. Here are just some of the highlights of this holder.
Postage & Packaging:free Super Saver Delivery Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Our New Gomadic Car Vent Mount allows you clear visibility and finger tip access to your ... more
device in an attractive; streamlined package. The Vent Mount promotes reliability along with style and ease. Our New Gomadic Auto Vent Holder is also the only mount on the market with a lifetime warranty and keeps you in touch on even the longest road trip. Here are just some of the highlights of this holder.
Postage & Packaging:£4.73 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Ultra clear and hard coated!FX Clear Protection protective foils are visual high tech ... more
foils. This display protection foil excels by the highest, crystal-clear transparency (over 99%) as well as by an absolute scratch resistance (pencil hardness: 3H).This display protection foil is also tailored to the respective display respecting the fit factor and the exact contours and is assembled dryly as all the foils available with us.Ultra clear andcompletely transparent, transparency over 99%Position can suit on-site conditions at any timeMultiplereusability, washableRejecting dirt and grease, reduces fingerprintsScratch resistant surface, hard coating with 3H pencil hardnessCrystal-clearcolorfast reproductionComfortable writing- touch screen optimizedRemovable without residueat any time even after yearsEasy installation -100% free of blisters mountablewith cleaned displayBorder adhesion andaccurate cuttingare guaranteed - including latchSensational adhesive qualities by specialsilicone bonding layer- no glue!Repairs scratched surfaces- small scratches are filled out and eliminated by the sticking stratum (Silicone stratum)Guaranteedquality processingby use of most modern high-precision engineering´sExtreme long service life- according to manufacturer recommendation a change of the foil is not necessaryScope of supply:1 foil / 1 foil set1 assembly instructionsYou receive one display protection foil for each display for devices with several displays (e.g. interior and exterior display).
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Dazzle-free and hard coated!FX Anti Reflection protective foils are absolutely ... more
mar-resistant (pencil hardness: 3H) reducing disturbing light reflections and increase the display contrast. Unlike to other non-reflecting brands of protective foils the display view is not corrupted and the colors are represented true to the original by our Antireflex Display Protection Foils.This display foil is tailored to the respective display concerning the fit factor and the exact contours and is to be assembled dryly.Dazzle-free surface for the drasticreduction of light reflectionson the displayPosition can suit on-site conditions at any timeMultiplereusability, washableRejecting dirt and grease, reduces fingerprintsScratch resistant surface, hard coating with 3H pencil hardnessTransparentcolorfast reproductionComfortable writing- touch screen optimizedRemovable without residueat any time even after yearsEasy installation -100% free of blisters mountablewith cleaned displayBorder adhesion andaccurate cuttingare guaranteed - including latchSensational adhesive qualities by specialadhesive bonding layer- no glue!Guaranteedquality processingby use of most modern high-precision engineering´sExtreme long service life- according to manufacturer recommendation a change of the foil is not necessaryScope of supply:1 foil / 1 foil set1 assembly instructionsYou receive one display protection foil for each display for devices with several displays (e.g. interior and exterior display).
Postage & Packaging:£0.45 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Charge your mobile devices while synchronizing data with one cable custom designed to work ... more
with our TipExchange Technology that enables hundreds of mobile devices to work with the same cable (Tip Included). Cut loose the rest of those cords to make this cable the hub of your mobile workstation and enjoy a minimalist workspace anywhere you go. When your device is fully charged simply remove the device and custom tip and replace it with any of your other mobile accessories. In addition; this product; like all Gomadic products; is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Postage & Packaging:£3.90 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: No restrictions, vast format support, colour screen, video support Disadvantages: occassionally clunky interface, poor firmware following, video support is flawed
...and found it encouraging that Cowon are not so desperate to jump on the rights-grabbing bandwagon. However, some recent beta firmware builds have experimented with DRM support but is not at a stable release yet.
Although the X5 supports images and video on its very lovely colour screen, I don't feel that either have been implemented very well. The pictures viewer suffers from a clunky interface for navigating them, and it's rather slow at ... ...weakness of the player, but Cowon has long promised a firmware update in the future that will add this much-wanted feature. Be sure to look for software that can help monitor and sort your collection into artist>album>title structures.
The X5 is one of a very select few that allow some sort of customisation. If you download pictures onto the player, you can select one to be the background for the main player interface. Generally the ... more
The IAUDIO X5 is not a MP3 player your average consumer has. Its not been marketed to anything like the extent of Apple's iPod. It has relied on word of mouth, and its loyal fanbase that has tracked the developments of Cowon's product lines over the years. My experiences are based on owning the 20Gb model since August 2005. The X5 is beautifully crafted - very slim, a distinct lack of buttons and a sleek black finish. One of its biggest selling points to me was its unmatched format support - Ogg Vorbis compatibility was a must for me, and instantly limited the selection of MP3 players to a tiny number. In addition, the X5 plays other more common formats - MP3, WMA etc. with no problems. Please note, however, that the player does not as of yet support DRM. From a moral perspective I actually considered this a selling point, and found it encouraging that Cowon are not so desperate to jump on the rights-grabbing bandwagon. However, some recent beta firmware builds have experimented with DRM support but is not at a stable release yet. Although the X5 supports images and video on its very lovely colour screen, I don't feel that either have been implemented very well. The pictures viewer suffers from a clunky interface for navigating them, and it's rather slow at loading each image. The ability to zoom into portions of the image is welcome. Video must be prepared in a certain format, and is limited to 15 frames per second. I've found that this generally works very well for animation, but movies, music videos etc. will stutter badly during high action or rapid camera movement. For those of us who haven't quite arranged our digital music collections into formal folder hierarchies, you may be surprised to learn that the X5 does not yet support a tag database, to allow easy searcing by artist/track etc. This, in my opinion, is a very unfortunate weakness of the player, but Cowon has long promised a firmware update in the future that will add this much-wanted feature. Be sure to look for software that can help monitor and sort your collection into artist>album>title structures. The X5 is one of a very select few that allow some sort of customisation. If you download pictures onto the player, you can select one to be the background for the main player interface. Generally the interface is easy to understand and navigate, but it lacks the smooth fluidity of the iPod. The 4-way joystick, which the majority of navigation is done by, feels sturdy and reliable, and is unlikely to be accidentally pushed whilst bouncing around in your pocket - hold functionality is available. To charge via power adapter or USB cable, a supplied sub-pack is connected to the base of the player. This does mean however, if you lose this, your player is going to be of limited use. Although Cowon offer some software, it's usually much easier to stick to your own choice of synchronisation software, or good old dragging and dropping between explorer windows. Rarely for an mp3 player, the X5 includes a USB Host port. This allows it to be connected to certain devices, such as digital cameras, so that its pictures can be downloaded directly onto the large-capacity drive without any need for computers. For snap-happy holidaymakers, I imagine this feature could be something of a godsend! :) Part of the X5s appeal to its fanbase is its somewhat rebellious streak. Cowon could've chosen to release a fairly generic player that did the same as every other iPod clone. Instead, they've taken some changes, taken the restrictions off our own media, and produced a reliable, beautiful device. Although it has some quirks which may irritate some, its most important job - playing music well, is handled brilliantly and there's lots of scope for playing with EQs, bass and 'enhancements' that personally I like to leave off. One warning though - as with many music devices, the stock earphones are nothing special. If you're just trotting around town then you're unlikely to care too much, but within a few months mine were beginning to fall apart. Also, be sure to explore the cases available. The X5 is a small investment - don't let it be ruined by stray keys in your pocket!
Advantages: Amazing sound, good codec support, small in size Disadvantages: Lack of included accessories
When I bought it in March this year, the iAudioX5 was my third HDD player in the space of about 18 months. I'm sorry to say I followed the crowd and started with a 20gig iPod. Don't get me wrong, I thought (and still think) the iPod looked great, sounded pretty good and was a doddle to use, but by god was it restrictive. And it still is - I didn't realise it at the time, but my opinion now is that iPods are almost like cassette walkmans, only without a radio. My second player (having sold the iPod after needing a bigger hard drive) was an iRiver H340 - now THAT was more like it!! Sure, it didn't have the iPod looks and if truth be told it was a bit of a lump, but it beat Apple's flagship hands down in everything else from features, to sound quality and all sorts beyond. You could even play video on it. Plus it had a radio!! Sadly ...